This invention relates generally to medical devices for scraping skin lesions, and more particularly to an improved disposable dermal curette which is responsive to the sensory-dependent nature of scraping procedures.
A dermal curette is a device used by medical practitioners for scraping growths, such as skin cancers, warts, actinic keratoses and seborrheic keratoses, from the surface of the skin. Generally, such devices are simple in construction, with a handle and a working element having a sharpened edge which is used to scrape the surface of the skin and remove the lesion. The working element is commonly a circular or ring-like configuration providing a curved or circular sharpened edge as the working surface of the curette.
There are generally three basic types of dermal curettes: the Fox Curette, the Piffard Curette and the eye curette. The Fox Curette is a device having a flat handle, usually metallic, with a generally cylindrical arm extending from the handle, also metallic, terminating in a working element having an oval or rounded-loop cutting edge. The Piffard Curette has a large metal handle tapering inwardly from the bottom of the handle, with a generally cylindrical metallic arm extending from the handle and terminating in a working element having an oval or rounded-loop cutting edge. The Piffard Curette is further provided with grooves or ribbed surfaces extending lengthwise along the handle of the curette. The eye curette is similar in design to the Fox Curette, but has a working element which is dish-like rather than looped-shaped, resulting in a working edge with a scooping action. The eye curette also has grooves or ribbed surfaces which extend around the width of the handle.
Variations of the dermal curettes described above are available and are identified and marketed as the Buck, Skeele or Heath curettes. These curettes, as well as the ones described above, are reusable, that is, designed and manufactured for repeated use after sterilization and, if necessary, resharpening.
Dermal curettes of such designs have been, and are currently being, used by physicians in medical procedures for the removal of lesions and unhealthy growths from the surface of the skin of a patient. Generally, in such procedures, the physician anesthetizes the area, removes the lesion with a scraping action utilizing a dermal curette and then cauterizes or electrode-siccates the area scraped. Sometimes the procedure is reversed in part and, after anesthetizing the area, the lesion is desiccated and then scraped using a curette. Ideally, only the lesions or unhealthy tissues or growths are removed in the scraping procedure with minimal destruction of the remaining healthy tissues.
As with many medical procedures, the effectiveness of such scraping procedures depends upon two interrelated factors, namely, the skill of the physician and the design of the tool used. Abnormalities of the skin, such as cancers, warts, actinic keratoses and seborrheic keratoses, differ to the touch from healthy tissues. Therefore, the experienced physician relies on the sense of touch during the scraping procedure and "feels" the difference between healthy and unhealthy tissues. With the proper tools, the physician can use his sense of touch to judge the depth of scraping necessary to remove only the unhealthy tissues, leaving the healthy tissues relatively unharmed.
In view of the sensory-dependent nature of such procedures, the design of the tool used is of critical importance. The curette must have a working element which is sharp enough to cut rather than pull and distort the tissue. Reusable curettes, like those described above, dull easily and do not hold a sharp edge very well. Thus, a curette which provides a working element of consistent sharpness, which the disposable curette of the present invention provides because of its one-time use, is needed. Furthermore, the curette should have a handle of sufficient weight to provide the balance necessary to allow the physician to properly "feel" the lesion, and an overall design which provides the physician with maximum control of the tool in use.
While the dermal curettes available have attempted to compensate for these factors, it has been determined that a need still exists for a dermal curette which is responsive to the sensory-dependent nature of such medical procedures. The present invention has been developed in response to that need, and provides an improved dermal curette having a working edge with consistent sharpness which is suitable for scraping procedures and a handle which is properly balanced and also designed to allow the user maximum control of the curette when used in such procedures.